ITP Glossary: Quick Hitch

Football is littered with specialized terminology. From squib kick to spin move, commentators rarely get to explain everything you need to know before the next play. Inside The Pylon’s glossary was developed to give fans a deeper understanding of the game through clear explanations, as well as image and video examples. Please contact us with any terms or phrases you’d like to know more about.

Quick Hitch

A quick hitch route is an offensive pass route in which a receiver sprints downfield several steps from the line of scrimmage, lending the impression that he is running a go route, before abruptly halting and turning back towards the quarterback to receive a pass. The quick hitch is similar in design to a curl route, but the latter is a deeper route. The hitch is also commonly combined with offensive blockers moving in front of the receiver, turning it into a tunnel screen.

Temple has a surprise in store for the offense here, in the form of Sharif Finch (#56). He is lined up as a defensive end, and at the snap he drops into zone coverage. Rather than pressure the quarterback, he widens towards the sideline, sliding underneath the quick hitch route:

Hackenberg never sees him. Finch makes a tremendous play on the football, and returns this interception for a touchdown.

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